An LA home built for entertaining comes down to one button: press "Party" and the lights shift, music plays from the bar out to the patio, and the game shows up on every screen that matters. LA Techs designs those scenes with Control4, Savant and Lutron, and the planning starts long before the first guest arrives. Here's how we think about it.
Start with the scene, not the gear
Ask yourself what a great night looks like. Guests at the bar, kids in the game room, music outside, the Lakers on in the background.
Then we build backward. Which rooms are involved? What should the lights do? Where does music play, and how loud? That becomes one "Party" scene on a keypad, a touchscreen and your phone.
Lighting does most of the work
Lighting sets the mood faster than anything else. A good party scene drops the overheads, warms up the bar, lights the art and turns on the landscape lighting.
With Lutron (and Ketra if you want color-tunable light), the bar can shift from bright prep light at 5pm to a warm glow by 9. Nobody touches a dimmer all night. More on that on our home bar page.
Music from the bar to the patio
Most LA entertaining spills outside. Music should follow, at the right volume in each space.
We zone it so the bar plays a little louder, the living room sits in the background, and the patio carries without bothering the neighbors. One playlist, every zone, controlled from anywhere. Sonos works well in smaller setups; whole-home systems get dedicated amplifiers in the rack.
TVs for game day
Game day is its own scene. You want the same game on the bar TV, the game room and the patio, in sync, without three remotes.
That's video distribution: one source feeding many screens. Plan a TV location at the bar (glare from windows is the usual enemy), run the wiring, and decide which screens join in when the game scene starts.
The game room
A great game room is part arcade, part lounge. Think a big screen for gaming, good sound, comfortable lighting for pool or cards, and a network strong enough for online play.
Wire it for wired network connections to every console. Wi-Fi is fine for phones; consoles deserve a cable.
One button (and an off switch)
The best part is the end of the night. Press "Goodnight" and the music stops, the TVs go dark, the outdoor lights shut off, and the doors lock.
Here's what usually goes into a party scene:
- Lights dimmed and warmed in the bar and living areas
- Landscape and patio lighting on
- Music in the bar, living room and patio at set volumes
- Game day TVs on the right channel
- Shades set for evening
- A "Goodnight" scene to shut it all down
Plan it during design
Entertaining spaces work best when they're planned with the architecture. Speaker locations, TV placement at the bar, landscape lighting circuits and patio power are all easier before drywall.
If you're building or remodeling, browse our rooms to see how each space can come together. We've been doing this since 2006, and we were named to the 2026 CE Pro 100.
Quick answers
Q: What is a "party scene" in a smart home? A: One button that sets lights, music, TVs and shades across several rooms at once. It runs on a keypad, touchscreen or phone.
Q: Can music play indoors and on the patio at different volumes? A: Yes. Each area is its own zone, so the bar, living room and patio can play the same music at different levels.
Q: How do you show the same game on several TVs? A: With video distribution, one source feeds multiple screens in sync. Plan it during construction so wiring reaches each TV.
Q: When should a home bar and game room be planned? A: During design or early construction, so speakers, TVs, lighting and network wiring go in before drywall.
Planning a house for entertaining? Send us the plans or call 213.354.8324.
